The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch AI Careers for Women. Known to be a groundbreaking skilling project, AI Careers for Women will enable women at higher education institutions to pursue jobs in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This strategic alliance aims to close the gender gap in emerging technology by providing women with industry-aligned AI skills, allowing them to participate meaningfully in the digital economy and actively contribute to India’s innovation-led growth.
As part of this cooperation, Microsoft will provide a 240-hour training curriculum for women based on the AI skilling and innovation framework, which will be aligned with industry standards and developed in consultation with the National Council for Vocational Education and Training.
The AI Careers for Women training will be given in a hub-and-spoke approach in collaboration with state government higher education departments, across a network of 30 Centres of Excellence – Hubs and 150 educational institutions – Spokes in Tier-II and Tier-III towns throughout six states.
Edunet Foundation, as one of the program partners, will implement this program in collaboration with the participating academic institutions, government bodies, corporate organizations, and industry bodies, forming an alliance to bring ecosystem change and enable industry-relevant skills and economic opportunities for women in AI, thereby increasing their workforce participation.
Classroom Learning in Higher Education Through CoE
The program complements classroom learning in higher education by establishing 30 centers of excellence at women’s institutions that serve as hubs and support 150 spoke centers in Tier-II and Tier-III towns, providing in-depth AI training with hands-on exposure to AI tools and real-world applications, and assisting 20,000 learners in gaining industry-relevant skills and project-related experience.
Learners will benefit from expert-led structured training, AI certifications, internships, apprenticeships, fellowships, career coaching, and job possibilities in AI-enabled positions.
The program will also provide possibilities for women in rural India to innovate with AI and improve their economic opportunities by training them to be AI developers and constructing AI applications and datasets, thereby creating a talent pipeline for rural AI innovation/enterprise.
This program adds to Microsoft’s continuing skilling initiatives with MSDE. MSDE will cooperate with Microsoft to validate the curriculum, providing rural girls with apprenticeship and job prospects through these centers of excellence.
Women’s Workforce Participation in Digital Economy
This project AI Careers for Women reflects Microsoft’s long-term commitment to increasing women’s workforce participation in the digital economy and is consistent with the government’s goal of ensuring fair access to future-ready skills.
The program aims to increase digital employment opportunities for women and contribute to a more diverse technology workforce.
Speaking on the partnership, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State, Ministry of Education, said, “This initiative exemplifies how government and industry can come together to shape an inclusive and future-ready workforce. Our partnership with Microsoft underlines the Ministry’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women in emerging tech fields like AI.”
“By embedding this program within credit-linked university curricula and aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP), we’re reimagining 21st-century learning—making it flexible, interdisciplinary, and deeply rooted in industry needs. Empowering young women with in-demand digital skills will not only transform individual careers but also accelerate the nation’s journey toward a more equitable and innovation-driven economy, said Hon’ble Minister.”
Highlighting Microsoft’s commitment to inclusive skilling, Aparna Gupta, Global Delivery Center Leader Microsoft India, said, “I’m thrilled to see Microsoft’s partnership with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) take shape, empowering young women in India to build careers in AI. We believe that equitable access to AI skills is crucial for inclusive economic growth. Through this collaboration, we’re strengthening capacity building across institutions in Tier-II and Tier-III towns, ultimately enabling more women to thrive in an AI-powered economy and shape the workforce of tomorrow”.
